The Passover Thread - Or Pass the Matzah!

[kpgclark]

I think I'll start small and either do it just for one day or I'll just not have bread and replace with Matzo. Otherwise it is just too much to tackle for the first time.

 

[rubyslipperlover]

wait until you find out about changing the dishes!

yep, you're not allowed to use dishes or pots that once contained hametz. you need to buy a spearate set of dishes for Passover -- two, actually, one for meat and one for dairy. dishes, pots, pans, silverware, glassware...

you have to clean all hametz out of every room in your house. and you must use, sell or burn every bit of it before Passover.

 

[cherylp3]

that is why I love the gladware cookware line. That along with paper plates, plastic cups and utensils makes it easier.

 

[DisDuck]

Ah, finally a thread I feel perfectly at home with. I first problem is do we invite the entire 'army' or not. Since a Saturday night no one has work the next day. Could be up to 17-18 people. Table, stuffed, holds 12. Could move kitchen table into dining room then no place to put people. What to do; What to do?

Next on the list is to mail Matzoh done to my daugher at U of Tampa. She cannot seem to find any. Then comes the 2nd annual fight with the student dining staff over what is for passover and what is not. Last year they said there is always chicken except it was breaded. A good why for her to eat less

Me, I take Egg Matzoh to work with a jar of peanut butter and make real 'bricks' to eat.

Finally, on next to last day we leave for Florida to pick up daughter so what do we do on the road. Meat without bread?

Good Passover, Everyone

 

[rubyslipperlover]

oy, travelling on Passover! you have my sympathy.

no peanut butter for me, I don't eat kitniyot during Passover. my workday lunches during the holiday tend to be salads with leftover chicken or turkey tossed in, hard boiled eggs, tuna salad, gefilte fish if there's any left over from the Seder...and I found this wonderful kosher for Passover Hungarian eggplant spread -- I think Sabra makes it -- which is wonderful on matzah and very filling. I also pack a lot of fresh fruit. and because I don't want to be tempted I try to include a treat of some sort -- Passover brownies, Barton's chocolate, something sweet like that.

 

[cherylp3]

There is a place called Jo-el's in the Tampa area.

Does her college have a Hillel?

If not perhaps she could contact a synogogue nearby and ask them if any families are having a 2nd seder she could attend.

Regarding meals on the road, Salad would probably be your best bet.

 

[DisDuck]

UTampa has a Hillel but small does things with USF Hillel's. They will have a seder. Her problem is with student dining. Have had that problem in other scholls also for the older siblings. She survives. Since I am somewhat of a picky eater (no vegetables; light on salad) I become Sephadic for Passover so that I can eat something.

By the way, daughter leaves May 17th for her Birthright trip to Israel. Excited.

 

[Tinkerbelle739]

This reminds me that DHs best friend hasn't called to invite us yet! My children (not Jewish) enjoy the customs. Well, not the bitter herbs!

 

[rubyslipperlover]

my kids can legitimately claim Sephardic heritage, my lte mother in law's family came from Greece and Turkey and spoke Ladino. but my ex husband does not observe Passover except at the Seder. I suspect my kids will spend at least part of the holiday at their father's house. sigh.

 

[mtblujeans]

Land O' Lakes Passover Desserts

 

[Meezers]

GLad I found this thread....haven't studied in years. Was engaged to a Jewish boy...but he ran away to Isreal. So here I am....the world's only Neo-Pagan Jew.....amazing what studying religion does to us!

I did finish the course but have never really gotten to put it into action.

While reading this week about purging the house of leavened products. I cannot starve my cats. Their food can't be changed and it is full of stuff that shouldn't be in the house....any suggestions?

Maybe I need to find the children's table and learn!

 

[cherylp3]

I have the same problem. ( I have a dog whose food can not be changed. )
I use a sealed container for storing the food. Also store it in a seperate closet than my kosher for passover food. As for feeding them, try not to feed the pet in the kitchen.

-Cheryl

 

[Tinkerbelle739]

Land O' Lakes Passover Desserts

Thanks for the link, now I don't have to show up empty handed!!!

 

[rubyslipperlover]

Land O' Lakes Passover Desserts

some of those look good!

 

[cherylp3]

If anyone is interested in Kosher For Passover Pet fiood - http://www.kosherpets.com/Passover1.html#Passover

 

[Cruise04]

I'm not jewish and I find learning about the different customs and stuff interesting so I hope you don't mind as I read along on your thread. I do have to say, I will now NEVER complain about (I'm Catholic) Lent now that I see all of this stuff you guys have to do. WOW.

 

[marlasmom]

Hey - don't we have to have brisket?

 

[Lisa F]

My suggestion to anyone who is wanting to get into passover for the first time is to look at it from a reform point of view. One of the things I like about reform judiasm is that for the most part, they are more concerned about the MEANING behind why you do what you do rather than following the letter of the law. For example, I personally would consider egg matzah (technically not kosher for passover unless you are old or sick or pregnant) for example to be "more" kosher for passover than all of those new fangled processed foods that they make kosher for passover, like fake cheerios and froot loops or noodles, even those technically those processed foods are actually kosher for passover. IMO one of things that separates passover from the rest of the year is that you eat things that are different, like matzah. IMO, the "spirit" of the holiday is more fulfilled by egg matzah even if it hasn't been declared by a rabbi to be kosher for passover in actuality than cereal, something people eat all year long, even if it has been declared by a rabbi as being kosher for passover. Whew. Does that make sense?

Now I'm not trying to start a debate or tell anyone that what they are doing is wrong if they are more orthodox than I (not hard to be) BUT just trying to give some hints for people who are new to the whole thing. I think the holiday will be much more satisfying both spiritually and actually if you think more about the meaning of the ritual foods rather than worrying about your pet food. I'm glad that there is that option for someone to whom it is very important but if you're just starting out, the place I would start would not be with the pet food.

What we do at our house is we don't buy any chometz for a week or two before passover and try to use up what we have. It does get a little creative at the end. If I have some rice left (which I generally do since I buy it in bulk) I just leave it packed away.

For the first year I will be using a different set of dishes. I don't distinguish between milk and dairy but when my grandma moved in with my parents last year I took her "daytime" passover dishes (my sister took her china since I already have a set, and also the dishes she used for meat to use for her everyday dishes). This year I will be using them for passover. I figure they have been kosher for passover since the 30's and 40's, why stop now? They are depression glass and whenever I see them I think of passover at my grandma's, so they are super special to me.

The other thing we do is we try to not eat out during passover. I know I could have a salad or something and it would be perfectly OK but this sort of falls under the "the meaning is more important than the letter of the law." For meals we practically live on seder leftovers the whole week. Breakfast is either egg matzah with whipped cream cheese (another family favorite), matzah brei (an egg and matzah dish, can be sweet or savory) or my grandmother's "passover cereal" which is just matzah farfel with some sugar sprinkled on it and milk poured on. We never really ate sugared cereals as kids so this was a super big treat for us and I have great memories of it.

For lunches and dinners we basically have a lot of leftovers. My MIL makes something called a "health salad" which is basically a vinegar based cabbage salad, kind of like a light cole slaw. I always think of this as a springtime dish because it's so light. Eggs feature heavily both at the seder and the rest of the week... hardboiled eggs and egg salad go great with matzah. We finish off the turkey and the brisket and I like to make some extra of a sweet potato kugel recipe in muffins, it's so good. If anyone wants the recipe let me know and I will dig it up and post it. I don't miss bread at all when I can nuke a piece of brisket and have a kugel muffin and some salad! Matzah ball soup is also a good lunch.

My MIL also makes these garlic basil passover "biscuits" that he absolutely adores. They are SO fattening (have a ton of oil) but he is thin so he can overindulge. We only ever have these over passover so they fall into the "eating special things for this special time" rule that we have. I can dig up that recipe too if anyone is interested.

 

[cherylp3]

I am definitely more strict for passover than during the year.
(Most of my dishes are recipes. Not premade foods - Except desserts.)

This year I bought a seperate compact refrigeratror for my perishables.
I do not actually throw my food out but it is kept seperately and not mixed.

I also am trying to use as much as I can and also buy as needed. I live extremely close to the supermarket so this should be easier.

If this is your first year. Start slow, ask your Rabbi if you have questions.

Cheryl

 

[Oh Kay!]

I like to make some extra of a sweet potato kugel recipe in muffins, it's so good. If anyone wants the recipe let me know and I will dig it up and post it.

Hi, I'm interested in the recipe; I would love it if you can post it. I'm a Protestant married to a (non-practicing) Jew, and have been making all the holiday meals for last 3-4 years now. I don't follow the letter of the law, but at least try to make things that DH is familiar with.

By the way, do you have a good Matza brei recipe? And that health salad sounds good, too. I've seen it on the catering menus but never could figure out what that was. As my MIL is a non-cook, I need any help I can get.